Attitudes towards Discrimination and Affirmative Action for Minorities and Women.

Seltzer, Richard; Thompson, Edward, III

Public attitudes toward affirmative action and racial discrimination were measured in a telephone survey of 648 respondents in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. In addition to focusing on how government affirmative action policies impact on racial minorities and women, the study investigated individual attitudes on the extent of racial discrimination at the workplace and in society. The survey produced four major findings: (1) there are significant differences in the attitudes on affirmative action held by Blacks and Whites; (2) the attitudes held by "advantaged" (high income and/or middle or upper class) Blacks differ from those of less advantaged Blacks; (3) White women and Blacks differ significantly in their attitudes on the perceived major beneficiaries of affirmative action. White women are more supportive of affirmative action programs than are White males, but these differences are small when compared to interracial differences; and (4) on abstract questions, well-educated Whites hold more liberal attitudes on affirmative action than less-educated Whites. However, there are no significant differences between well and poorly educated Whites when they are asked to support applied policies advancing affirmative action. These findings suggest that affirmative action has been more successful in promoting debate than in increasing employment opportunities for a growing number of structurally unemployed Blacks. (KH)